Category Archives: NCAA Defense

One of the top teams in the country entering the 2018 season, and the preemptive favorite to win the Pac-12, the Washington Huskies have boasted one of the best run defenses over the past few seasons and should continue to do so into 2018. They led the Pac-12 in points per game allowed, total yards…

Versatility means everything in football. Being a player that can assume multiple roles and attack from anywhere on the field at the safety position can keep offensive coordinators up the whole night before a game. We saw it in the 2018 NFL Draft with Minkah Fitzpatrick, arguably the most versatile defender in the draft, being…

Many eyes will be on Missouri games this year to get a look at their quarterback, Drew Lock. But on the other side of the ball, they have a former five star recruit who deserves just as much attention. Terry Beckner Jr’s All-SEC freshman team season was cut short with a torn ACL and MCL…

The Colorado Buffaloes 2017 season was one of regression, with major steps back in just about every notable defensive category. They set at least 3 year worst marks in: points per game, total yards/per game, rush yards per game, yards per carry, pass yards per game, yards per play, and total sacks. Not great. That…

Pass rushers are like money. Having some is good, having more is better. Possibly the highest commodity in the NFL, after quarterbacks, are those that create pressure on the QB. Ben Banogu is just such a player. Background Lightly recruited coming out of high school due to a leg injury, he started his collegiate career…

Man in the Middle T.J. Edwards was the man in the middle of a Wisconsin defense that was ranked second in total defense (262.1 yards per game), third in rushing defense (98.4 ypg) and third in scoring defense (13.9 ppg). He was an integral part of a senior laden defense that lost seven starters, including…

The California Golden Bears have had a consistently average decade. Since 2010, they have 4 seasons of 5-7 finishes and a best finish of 8-5. Head coach Justin Wilcox enters year two at the helm of the Golden Bears, looking to build upon their solid start last season in which they upset then #8 in…

The Florida Gators have experienced better days, as they finished their less than stellar 2017 season at 4-7, which led to the firing of Jim McELwain and subsequently led to the beginning of the Dan Mullen era in Gainesville. Like so many coaches before him, Mullen will look to improve the culture, while instilling smart…

Like most things in American culture, the best come in threes; who is Jack Tripper without Janet Wood and Chrissy Snow and why do you think South Park always kills Kenny? It’s not just because they’re bastards, but it could be due to the fact that people tend to enjoy the number three, which is…

What a time to be an NFL fan. The game is as flexible and multiple as ever and the lines have been blurred in regards to once extremely rigid concepts such as scheme, philosophy and the concept of players having defined positions. Defensive fronts also fall into that category, as the once unique and scheme…

There are three core positions in football. Quarterback, meaning someone who can throw the ball downfield. Offensive tackle, meaning someone to protect that quarterback. And an edge pass rusher, meaning someone to disrupt the opponent’s quarterback. The next in line after this trio would be the field-tilting cornerback. For everything you have up front, under…

Sam Hubbard is an EDGE defender I have been studying for the 2018 Inside The Pylon Draft Guide, who really intrigues me for a few different reasons. He was an outstanding lacrosse player in high school and had to decommit from Notre Dame, in order to become a Buckeye. The fascinating aspect of his development…

The 2018 NFL Combine is upon us and we are eagerly waiting to see how a bunch of physical specimen perform athletic tests in their underwear. These results are not the be all end all, but they help substantiate what we have already evaluated on the film, while also providing additional information that may lead…

As Michael Kist told the ITP crew at practice, “rankings are stupid”. I agree. So instead of ranking these safeties, which would ignore important factors such as schematic fit, I have decided to tier them. Before that, a few words on the overall group. The safeties at Mobile lived up to their intriguing nature.…

While down in Mobile, Alabama, the Inside the Pylon team have been evaluating some of the best seniors in college football. Two players that had newsworthy play and measurements last week were LSU’s D.J. Chark and Alabama’s Levi Wallace. The two players are somewhat familiar with each other, both playing in the SEC West division…